review: eyeliners

There are so many eyeliners out there and it's hard to figure out which one is right for you. I've had this problems for years, trying to search for the perfect eyeliner may it be drugstore or high end, liquid or pencil or gel. I've finally found some that work for me, hopefully this post will be helpful to someone out there.

What I've Tried (from what I can remember, anyway)
Pencil: MAC, Christian Dior, NYC, Annabelle, Sophie, Sasa, Urban Decay, Make Up Forever, Sephora, Chanel
Liquid: Anna Sui, NYC, Physician's Formula, elf, Annabelle, Shiseido,
Gel: Stila, MAC, Elizabeth Arden, Cle De Peu, elf

So here's a brief summary of what I discovered from the ones that stood out to me, whether it was in a positive or negative way.

Annabelle: This drugstore eyeliner runs for $4-6 in Canada. The kohl eyeliner tugs on my eyelid and the colour is not pigmented at all. Their liquid liner; however, is great. The brush makes for easy application and lasts for most of the day. Say no to the pencil and yes to the liquid for this drug store brand.

MAC: One word - Fluidline - costs about $20 CAD. The only negative thing I can think of is how quickly it dries up and it's a tad hard to remove. I've heard the Wet 'n Wild gel liner is comparable to MAC's Fluidline but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. Their pencil liners disappoint me as they crease and tug at my eyelids. In addition, the sparkly pencil liners have glitters that feel chunky and hurts my eyes when I apply it. Not very pigmented but can be built. The liquid Penultimate liner dried up really quickly as well.

Urban Decay: The famous 24/7 liner. Very creamy, easy to apply, extremely black and pigmented. Doesn't tug on my eyelids but creases and smudges terribly. I would definitely not repurchase this for $26. Didn't stay on my waterline at all.

Make Up Forever: After my disappointment with UD's 24/7 liner, I tried the Aqua Eyes one from MUFE. It didn't crease or smudge nearly as much as the 24/7, but it still did nonetheless. Also did not stay on my waterline. Also around $26.

Sophie: I believe this is a brand only available on the Asian markets. I received this as a gift after complaining about my endless search for the perfect eyeliner. The black is extremely pigmented and it is the only eyeliner I've ever tried that stays on my waterline for more than a minute after I apply it. In fact, it stays the entire day with barely and smudges. I apply this with an eyeliner brush to the top and apply it straight from the pencil on the bottom. I think this runs for about $12. The Blackest Black is the one you should go for! Do not try the gold pencil liner from them if you're hoping for a bold colour pay-off; all you're going to get are sparkles. I would repurchase this product over and over.

Chanel: This is another amazing eyeliner, but I wouldn't repurchase this for three reasons. The price being a major factor, it is also a pain in the butt to remove, and I'm in love with the Sophie one.

NYC: Stay away from their pencil liners and gel liners. Pencil liners are not pigmented. BUT, their High Definition liquid liner is officially the best liquid liner I've ever tried. A lot of times, liquid liners dry extremely quickly, but I've been using this one for over a month and it still gives me a bold colour. It stays on all day for me and is amazing for the price that it's at.

Everything else can be summed up pretty easily. Anna Sui liquid liners flake throughout the day. What's up with that? It's a terrible look on anyone. A pro is that it smells like roses, like all their products. Stila's smudge pot works well. Cle De Peu is another amazing gel liner, great pigmentation and comes with a brush that actually works quite well... but I'd expect it to for the price I'm paying. elf's felt tip liquid liner is another amazing product for the price - $1. It really depends on the batch though. Sometimes, the tip is extremely hard and hurts my eyes or it dries up quickly. Other times it lasts me about a month before it dies on me. Sometimes I dip the felt tip liner into their $1 liquid liner and that works just as well. It just makes it easier to apply for me. Shiseido's liquid liner is also great but dries up quickly - refills are about $20. Physician's Formula eyeliner claims to enhance eyelash growth as well, I'm not sure if I notice a difference but the eyeliner itself is great as well. The brush tip is super soft and fine pointed that allows you to draw a thin line or make it as thick as you like. I'd love this if it didn't run out so quickly. Elizabeth Arden's gel liner dried up way too quickly, I think I barely got two weeks' use out of it. Perhaps I got a bad one.

Wow, I typed a lot. I guess it also works as a reminder to myself as well - that I do not need to buy anymore eyeliners! I know that I like Sophie's pencil liner the best for upper lash line, inner lash line, and water line. NYC's high definition eyeliner is now my favourite liquid liner and I've never really had a problem finding a good gel liner.

Just remember, this is what works for me. I think I have oily eyelids or something because I know how many people rave about the 24/7 liner and it just smudges horrendously on me.